Croydon Cafes and Coffee Shops: Where to Go

The Croydon cafes most people look for are Crushed Bean on the High Street, for Clifton Coffee and toast; Tao Cafe in Ruskin Square, the closest speciality coffee to East Croydon station, with a fully vegetarian brunch menu; and Bob’s Your Uncle in South Croydon, which has served brunch since 2019. Every entry was checked against the cafe’s own site or social page on 25 October 2026.

We have not visited these cafes for this guide, and nothing here is a review. Each entry gives what the cafe says about itself on its own website, menu or Instagram, its Food Standards Agency hygiene rating, and what public guides, including the Croydon BID’s coffee guides, have recorded. Hours and prices change, so check before a special trip.

Town centre

Crushed Bean, High Street

Crushed Bean is a small independent on the High Street, between the town centre and South Croydon. Its coffee page says it has used Clifton Coffee’s E1 Project espresso, grown in El Salvador and roasted in Bristol, “since day 1”, with other coffees for V60 filter and bags of beans to take home. The menu is built around toast: avocado, smoked salmon, peanut butter, a spiced “Mumbai Cheese” toastie and pesto on sourdough, with pastries from DeBaere and soups in winter. The Croydon BID’s coffee guide notes a lower-ground room used for informal meetings. Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 3pm; Saturday 9am to 3pm; closed Sunday. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 20 January 2025). 81 High Street, CR0 1QE. Our listing.

Clocktower Café, Katharine Street

The Clocktower Café is inside Croydon Clocktower, the arts and museum complex beside the Town Hall. The council’s page lists cakes, hot and cold snacks and “a small à la carte hot menu every day”, fresh coffee and speciality teas, a Fairtrade range, and a children’s menu with high chairs. It also runs free live jazz every Thursday lunchtime from 12.15pm to 2.15pm. The Croydon BID describes a vaulted glass ceiling and artworks on the walls, and the cafe’s Instagram has hosted art exhibitions. Hours, as published by the council: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm. Hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 30 October 2025). 9 Katharine Street, CR9 1ET. Our listing.

The Village Table, Park Lane

The Village Table opened in spring 2026 overlooking Queen’s Gardens. Its site calls it “more than a coffee lounge”, with space to work by day and, on selected evenings, “live soul, poetry, sound healing and cocktails”. The Croydon BID’s spring openings guide names its Sunday Night Soul sessions of R&B, soul and jazz. The menu runs from the classic espresso drinks to flavoured lattes and hot chocolates, with breakfasts, toasties and rice bowls, and the cafe also offers co-working and venue hire. Hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm; Saturday 9am to 4pm; Sunday closed except for events. Hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 28 March 2026). Email info@thevillagetable.co.uk. 40 Park Lane, CR0 1GX.

Earthy Coffee, George Street

Earthy Coffee is an independent on George Street, close to East Croydon station. The Croydon BID’s coffee guide calls it “a café of two halves”: high stools for a quick stop upstairs, and a larger room downstairs with tables of several sizes, including a six-seater, which it suggests for anyone who wants to work. The BID says the espresso is from Allpress. Earthy’s Instagram, the only channel it runs, showed a new granola bowl and its chai in September 2026. It does not publish opening hours there, so check before a special trip. Hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 25 November 2025). 31 George Street, CR0 1LB.

Two Brothers Cafe, St James’s Road

For a full English rather than a flat white, Two Brothers Cafe is a family-run cafe about five minutes’ walk from East Croydon station. Its site says it serves “fresh food every day of the week, except on Sundays”: brunch, rolls, sandwiches and baguettes, and dinners. The set breakfasts on its online menu run from £5.50 for egg, bacon, sausage and beans to £8 for the larger plates with chips or bubble. Hours: Monday to Friday 6.30am to 4pm; Saturday 7am to 3pm; closed on Sundays and bank holidays. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 4 October 2025). Call 020 8689 8949. 222 St James’s Road, CR0 2BW. Our listing.

By East Croydon station

Tao Cafe, Ruskin Square

Tao Cafe describes itself as “an independent coffee shop situated in the heart of East Croydon”, with a menu that is fully vegetarian. It makes most of its cakes and syrups in-house. Its site says it serves light-roast single-origin beans from Plot, a south-east London roaster, alongside guest roasters. On the menu, avocado on toast with dukkah is £7.90, a Buddha bowl £9 and shakshuka £11.90, with vegan and gluten-free options marked. Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5pm; Saturday 8.30am to 5pm; Sunday 8.30am to 4pm. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 26 March 2025). Email info@taocafe.co.uk. 2A Ruskin Square, CR0 2WF. Our listing.

Aera Coffee House, College Road

Aera opened on the ground floor of Enclave, a modular tower on College Road, in June 2024, the Croydon BID’s new openings guide records. It describes Japandi interiors in neutral colours and natural materials, hot chocolates from Kokoa and a range of teas. The Double Skinny Macchiato coffee blog’s Croydon guide says its coffee comes from Origin, with hand-brewed filter and matcha. Its Instagram shows pastries and matcha drinks. It posts rarely and gives no opening hours, so check before a special trip. Hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 6 July 2024). 21 College Road, CR0 1NN.

Grumpy Goose, Dingwall Road

The Coulsdon cafe opened a second branch opposite East Croydon station in April 2026. Its page for the branch says it is built for commuters, with grab-and-go food, coffee, pastries baked in-house and “a small selection of brunch dishes” for anyone who wants to sit down. The Croydon BID noted veggie, vegan and gluten-free options. The cafe does not publish hours for this branch on its site. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 10 April 2026). Email hello@grumpygoosecafe.com. Amp House, 4 Dingwall Road, CR0 2LX.

South Croydon

Bob’s Your Uncle, Selsdon Road

Bob’s Your Uncle sits by South Croydon station. Its site says Andy and Adrian opened it in July 2019 as a family-run business, working with “local and national suppliers” on brunch, sweet treats and coffee. The Double Skinny Macchiato blog says the coffee is from Cuppers Choice. On the Croydon menu, shakshuka, eggs Benedict and eggs royale are £10 each, avocado toast £9 and homemade soup £6.50. In October 2026 it launched its own delivery service for Croydon, its Instagram says. There is a sister branch in Eltham. Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4pm; Saturday and Sunday 8am to 4pm. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 10 May 2025). Call 020 8680 3400. 2 Selsdon Road, CR2 6PA.

Purley and Coulsdon

Infinity Coffee, Purley

Infinity Coffee opened on Purley High Street on 25 September 2025, according to a post by a local councillor who named the team as Mani, Maz and Sami. The cafe marked its first anniversary on its Instagram in October 2026 and is running an autumn menu of matcha and lattes with pumpkin spice or pecan, plus pastries. It does not publish opening hours there. The FSA register also lists an Infinity Coffee Shop at 307 High Street, Croydon, which is awaiting its first inspection. Hygiene rating for Purley 5 (FSA, 7 November 2025). 32 High Street, Purley, CR8 2AA.

Grumpy Goose, Coulsdon

The original Grumpy Goose is on Brighton Road in Coulsdon. Its site says the head chef, Lewis, has “a background in Michelin star cheffing” and calls the food “elevated comfort food”. The answers on its site say it takes walk-in tables only, with no bookings, and offers plenty of veggie, vegan and gluten-free options. Food can be ordered online for collection. Dogs are welcome “as long as your dog is a good girl or boy”. It does not publish opening hours on its site. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 22 August 2024). Email hello@grumpygoosecafe.com. 136 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, CR5 2ND.

How we chose

We started from the cafes that the Croydon BID, local coffee guides and readers keep naming, and from the Food Standards Agency register for the borough. We then checked each one against its own website, menu or Instagram, and against the FSA register, on 25 October 2026. We left out anywhere rated below 3 for hygiene: the Mr Tinto cafe at West Croydon’s Station Road was rated 2 in August 2025. We also left out cafes we could not confirm through a site or page of their own. The Brown & Green cafe on Church Road, Upper Norwood, is changing into a vegetarian and vegan cafe called Just Green, which its owners say opens on 10 November. Nobody listed has paid to be here. For more ideas, see the best restaurants in Croydon, Croydon pubs, things to do in Croydon, what’s on this month and the cafes in our directory.

Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@croydontoday.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Which Croydon cafes are open on a Sunday?

Of the cafes in this guide, Tao Cafe in Ruskin Square opens on Sundays from 8.30am to 4pm, and Bob’s Your Uncle on Selsdon Road from 8am to 4pm, according to their own sites. Crushed Bean, Two Brothers Cafe and the Clocktower Café are closed on Sundays, and the Village Table opens on Sundays only for events.

Where can I get speciality coffee near East Croydon station?

Tao Cafe in Ruskin Square serves light-roast single-origin coffee from Plot plus guest roasters. Aera Coffee House on College Road and the East Croydon branch of Grumpy Goose on Dingwall Road are both a few minutes’ walk away. Crushed Bean on the High Street, which uses Clifton Coffee, is a short walk further.

Are there dog friendly cafes in Croydon?

Grumpy Goose in Coulsdon says on its own site that dogs are always welcome as long as they behave. Most other cafes in this guide do not publish a dog policy, so ask before you go.